How Peter Nixon Pays Tribute to History

Artists often provide insight on the various myths, artists and history that influence their style. In the artwork of Peter Nixon, he not only tells you, he shows you.

“A lot of my paintings have little insets and pictures,” Nixon says. “It’s like reading the history about a subject or the background to a subject.”

Nixon’s art is breathtaking and ethereal. His unique “Sketch Style” combines a form of Cubism with working alterations left visible in the picture, and is influenced by artists such as Titian and Sandro Botticelli. To pay homage to these artistic giants, Nixon masterfully creates airy vignettes of these masterworks within his art, overlaying them over timeless goddesses.

In doing so, Nixon aims to interpret visual history in layers, drawing connections between the past and present.

To this end, Nixon extracts inspiration from Greek mythology, bringing its ancient symbolism to life. Nixon’s “Muse” series is a great example. The series’ depictions of nine muses are infused with historical references regarding mythological references.

“It’s one of those subjects that’s been done in the past, and I wanted to put my spin on it,” Nixon says.

The inset pictures in the nine paintings are 19th-century representations of the muses by artists such as Charles Le Brun and Simon Vouet. The muses were goddesses who presided over the arts and sciences, including poetry, music, history and astronomy.

Nixon’s interest in Greek mythology and artistic tributes to artists doesn’t end with the muses. Nixon’s historical homages are, arguably, best exemplified in his depictions of the Horae – the goddesses of the seasons (also known as the Hours or Horai). In classic Greek mythology, the goddesses are Thallo, Auxo and Xarpo, representing spring, summer and autumn, respectively.

“Horae Thallo” (2012), Peter Nixon

In Nixon’s “Horae Thallo,” the inset picture is a detail from Botticelli’s “The Birth of Venus.” In the famous painting, the Horae cover the naked Venus with a cloak.

In “Horae Xarpo” Nixon includes a detail from William Holman Hunt’s “The Afterglow in Egypt.” Hunt’s painting celebrates the abundance of nature with its central figure carrying a sheaf of wheat on her head, similar to the figure in Nixon’s depiction.

Nixon is willing to reveal some of the secrets behind his art, but not all. Instead, he enjoys when collectors devise their own meanings and interpretations of his art. Knowing the history is a bonus, but Nixon believes artwork “does not need to be solved like a crossword puzzle or riddle in order to appreciate it.”

To discover more hidden gems, view Park West Gallery’s Peter Nixon art collection. Contact our gallery consultants at (800) 521-9654 ext. 4 or sales@parkwestgallery.com to take home a work by Nixon.

The launch of a new cruise ship is always a big deal, but the debut of Norwegian Bliss is shaping up to be an event no one will ever forget.Norwegian ...Read More

11 Pino Artworks That Will Make You Want to Hug Your Mother

There’s something indescribable about moms. They exude a calm comfort, this sense of maternal caring and nurturing. Even those of us with moms who are more inclined to chase us ...Read More

May 11 Is a Surprisingly Significant Day in Art History—Here’s Why

If you Google “what happened in history on May 11,” you’ll find a lot of interesting tidbits.May 11 is the day that Alexander became Emperor of the Byzantine Empire, Christopher ...Read More

Park West CEO Albert Scaglione on the Art Market’s Obsession with Picasso

More than 40 years after his death, Pablo Picasso continues to make headlines, and it seems like the public’s fascination with the Spanish artist is only growing.Picasso is currently the ...Read More

Shedding Light on 4 Works of Art by Thomas Kinkade

Thomas Kinkade was one of the most collected living contemporary artists until his passing, and for good reason—he sought to enrich the lives of others with beautiful imagery that ...Read More

Michael Godard: Rocking the Art World

At first glance, you might think Michael Godard is a rock musician.With his ...Read More

Auctioneer Spotlight: Alan Ridderhof

Alan Ridderhof believes that land-based life isn’t for him. As a celebrated auctioneer with Park West, that’s a good thing. Alan loves the lifestyle that comes with working at sea, but more than anything, he loves connecting people with the perfect work of art. While cruise ship life has no shortage of challenges, Alan opts to turn them all into opportunities. This is his story.